Put a Fork in it...We're Dunning!

I promise....

2011-10-23T20:23:00.001-06:00

I really do have plans to update our blog soon. Really. I have a few things to post...just not too much time. But I will...soon....I promise. :)

Welcome to Austin!

2011-09-03T22:41:00.002-06:00

Well, we made it! We closed on our house on Tuesday morning, moved in Tuesday night and are still unpacking! We are very close to being settled, but no pictures just yet! We just got the Internet hooked up today (thank goodness!) and TV in 10 DAYS! 10!!

Cole has been awesome and is starting to recognize when we are getting close to home. But he asks for Grandma and Grandpa every single day. Makes me sad every time. Cole and I have quickly learned that it is better not to go outside during the day....or you melt.

We also have had our first Pest control spray. "After only 5 days?", you ask. Yes, after 2 scorpions, I made the call. Cute Cole jumped from couch to couch and only touched the ground if necessary after I lost track of one of them. They are fast little suckers.

Our neighbors that we have met have all been really nice. Lots of young families which is cool. We are going to church tomorrow and our Bishop's last name is Loadrup...so it has to be good right? :)

I had a lady ask me on the phone the other day why we would leave God's Country of Colorado to come to Austin. Good question really...but it is nice here. Hot, but nice. More to come soon!

Meanwhile, in Austin....

2011-08-18T00:46:00.001-06:00

Jon has been playing Bachelor in Austin for the past week and a half. He is very happy that he has his new iPad and for the free trial for Netflix! He's tried out some restaurants and went and saw Cowboys and Aliens....I think someone drew the short stick. ME! :) But he took the time and effort to send a cute Miss-You card and come CARS stickers for Cole. He was super excited! What a cute Daddy.

Jon is enjoying his job so far. He likes the people he works with-which is super important. He stopped by our house the other day and they are coming along! Walk through will be next Tuesday! We are very nervous/excited! Here are a few updated pictures from inside. (Jon took them with his new iPad...so, they are a bit grainy)

He also attended our new ward on Sunday. They get at least one new family a week! Yikes! I guess that is what you get in a developing area! He said it seemed good and he even attended a Stake Priesthood meeting that night. What a good guy I married.

Cole and I miss him TONS. I wonder what Cole thinks of this whole situation. How confusing for a little guy! He has made a lot of progress in his speech since Jon has been gone. He is speaking in sentences now...understandable sentences. Like, "Oink Oink! I'm a pig!" and things like that. It is awesome. I think Jon will be surprised when he sees him again.

Just a little busy....

2011-08-17T00:29:00.007-06:00

So, we have been busy bees over here at the Dunning household! Between seeing doctors for the last time before we go, packing, and still trying to live a semi-normal life for Cole's sake...I have had 4 photo sessions! Now, don't misunderstand, they have been fun! It just makes for an EXTRA busy single mom! THANK GOODNESS FOR LIVING WITH GRANDPA AND GRANDMA! There is NO WAY I could have shot this wedding without them.

Actually, the money made from these photos sessions has covered most of our moving costs. Seems like Heavenly Father knows how to take care of us and what we need. He knew I would be busy, but also knew it would work. I am thankful that he knows our needs and abilities so well.

Anywho, here is a sampling of the shoots.

Happy Birthday to the Best Mom!

2011-08-07T00:06:00.002-06:00

We are so happy to celebrate Mom's birthday this year! We are so thankful she is here with us and pray that we will be able to celebrate MANY more with her!

Cole helped Grandma open every single gift...each time saying, "What in it? Car?" But he wasn't disappointed, just happy to give Grandma her gift! We had a fun day and are so thankful to have such a great Grandma and Mom.

We bought a house.....in Austin!!!

2011-07-25T15:07:00.009-06:00

We had a quick weekend trip to Austin to buy a house of all things! Jon got a job with Charles Schwab there and he will start on August 8th. However, our house will not be ready until the end of the month, so Cole and I will join him then.

So, here are some pictures of our house! It is in a town called Leander which is growing quickly!

Ours had red brick and the door is on the other side of the garage. Like this:

It has 4 beds, game room, 2.5 baths. The builder includes all the appliances and all the landscaping. But since they are in a drought, they won't landscape until the drought breaks. So, we will have dirt for a while!

4th of July

2011-07-18T14:46:00.001-06:00

We had a fun 4th this year! We just hung out around home, but we had fun. For dinner we had ribs, corn on the cob, German potato salad and Brazilian Lemonade (SO GOOD!).

Then, we had some fun doing some fireworks. The loud ones scared Cole...but he LOVED the snaps! Actually the sparklers scared him too...which was weird because her liked them last year...go figure.

Then it was time for the big fireworks! We have always had an awesome view from Mom and Dad's deck, but the trees are getting so big, it might not last much longer! But we were still able to see some fireworks. We also roasted marshmallows on the grill and made smores! So fun!

4th of July Craft

2011-07-04T22:03:00.000-06:00

Here is our latest craft that my sisters and I did...however, I think I am the only one who has finished it so far (C'mon guys!) :) We found it on eighteen25 (fun blog). It was originally for Halloween, but we thought it would be great for the 4th of July too.

I love it! Not too cheesy or sparkly and pretty darn cute. I had some help arranging the "flowers" from Mom. She is the master arranger. So, I had her help me--and thank heavens, I am sure it would not have turned out so cute.

Happy 29th Jon!

2011-07-03T16:23:00.001-06:00

Yup. 29. He's a youngin' folks.

We had a fun little celebration for Jon this year. On Sunday, we celebrated with the Dunnings. Jon and Robin (Jon's older brother) have close birthdays so, we celebrate together. We had an awesome dinner and equaly awesome desserts (Cream cheese browines for Jon and Banana Cream Pie for Robin).

Then on Tuesday (his actual birthday), we had dinner at Red Robin (I love that place, but it is REALLY loud) and I made a chocolate bundt cake for dessert. Cole was SOOO excited about the cake (who knows why...he's never tried any!) and kept wanting to see it by asking, "Cakey?" So, or course, Jon let Cole blow out the candles with him.

Then, at the playful urging of Grandma, he stuck his finger in the frosting...then all the way INTO the cake! He pulled out a chunk and ATE IT! He gagged a few times, but Jon was distracting him and he ate it! WITHOUT SPITTING IT OUT OR BARFING! Can you tell we are excited?!?!?!?!?

Jon got some fun gifts. We are so glad he was born 29 years ago!

Splash Park

2011-06-30T16:22:00.000-06:00

We met some friends at the nearby splash park the other day. It was hot, and although Cole had never been to a splash park before and doesn't particularly like to be splashed per se, I thought he might like it because his friends were there.

Yeah...No. He loved being in his swimming suit. Be despite Henry, Ashlyn and Hayden trying to get him in there....he wouldn't. He preferred to hang out.

What a funny boy.

BUGGY!!!

2011-06-29T21:57:00.005-06:00

Those of you who know Cole well, know that he has always said, "Deedle-eedle-eedle!" when he sees a bug or spider or insect of any kind. It is actually super cute. Even his speech therapist, Shanda, loves it!

But our "deedle-eedle" world ended today....he picked up a little ladybug figure thingy that Grandma has and said, "Mommy, bug! Mommy, BUGGY!"

We were really happy and cheered and made a big deal about it and he seemed pleased. He since has said it 4 or 5 times. I am so glad that he did it....but kinda sad that I won't hear his "deedles" anymore.

First Trip to the Museum

2011-06-28T11:24:00.000-06:00

I was so nervous to take Cole to the Museum knowing that he would be all over the place. But he loved it and was soooo good! He loved the space portion and the dinosaurs, but most of all he loved being with his cousin Joseph. He held his hand most of the time and when he got crazy, Joseph would wrangle him in for me!

It was awesome! I love this picture of Cole and Joseph by the T-Rex...might have been the only time they were still!

Father's Day

2011-06-21T11:21:00.004-06:00

We had a fun Father's day this year! We were able to see both families and everyone like their presents!

Cole and I gave Jon a book and a bow tie! They are getting popular and I thought handsome Jon could pull it off! He needs a little more practice tying it, but it looks good! I will post a picture when he wears it the first time.

I also made some fun treat boxes (found them here)and filled them with Peanut M&M's for Dad, Peanut Butter M&M's for Jon and Oreos and Cashews for Dad Dunning. As you can see, much has already been eaten...should have taken the picture before!

We fun day celebrating the best Dad's in the world!

Dough, Do, Dee, Bour, Bive!

2011-06-14T22:21:00.003-06:00

Cole has been making lots of progress with his speech...meaning his vocabulary has grown a ton. His pronunciation is still behind. However, there have been improvements since he got his tubes!

His speech therapist is excited about some of his new discoveries; he is adding a 'y' to lots of words (i.e. hand-y, hot-y, hat-y) and that is part of development for a much younger child. He is also adding 't' to the end of words (park is part, etc.)

But, the most exciting development was the other night at dinner, he started lining up blueberries and he counted, "Dough, Do, Dee, Bour, Bive!" So, not only did he say it....but he ACTUALLY COUNTED to five! And then he ate the blueberries! Icing on the cake! Yay!

Welcome Home, Grandma!

2011-06-11T22:13:00.005-06:00

The day before Cole's surgery Grandma returned from Texas! I was very interested to see Cole's reaction to her when she got home. He has been able to see Grandpa on and off, when he would come home every 2 weeks. But, he has only Skyped with Grandma.

When she walked in, Cole was eating and he said, "Ama?" and looked at her and then at Sandy (her sister) and then back at Grandma. It was almost like he was deciding whether it was real. Once he finished eating and got out of his high chair he realized that she was really here! He immediately took her hand and gave her a "tour" of all his toys.

Mom returned to clean home, with freshly washed, bright clean windows (thanks to the AWESOME Cleverly family) and a room draped with pretty paper flowers from the Westminster Ward Primary. She loved it.

So, now she is back home resting...as much as she lets herself....and as much as Cole lets her! She is doing soooo much better than I was expecting, but still gets very tired quickly. But her recovery has been fantastic so far. Thank you for all your prayers!

Cole's Myringotomy....aka Ear Tubes

2011-06-07T15:21:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday, Cole went in to have a myringotomy...or ear tubes (for people like me!). We took Cole to a pediatric ENT and she as great. His surgery was done at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (at PSL) and it was great. Here is Cole in his super cute gown and cap (he wanted to wear a cap like me!)

They let me go in with Cole until the anesthesia kicked in. It was crazy how fast it worked. And the surgery staff were all amazed at how good he was with the mask on his face. The nebulizer helped him be comfortable since he has done the whole mask thing before. He just sat on my lap and held the mask on until he fell asleep. The nurses were all prepared to hold him down, and all oooo-ed and Aahhhh-ed when he was so good.

They were done in about 6 minutes with the surgery and Cole was out of the anesthesia about 5 minutes after that. He was a little confused, but was really good and snuggly. He got sick on the car ride home...so we had to little detours to clean up some spit-ups (that was the nicest way to say it!). Otherwise, he has been great.

He is hearing things differently now and is putting the endings on words more too. For example...Buzz is Butt! :)

Hi?

2011-05-27T16:28:00.004-06:00

For my birthday, Jon gave me a bike trailer so I can take Cole on rides! I am very excited about it! But that meant we had to take our bikes in to get tuned up (after sitting outside (and not used once!) for the past 2 years.

We took them over to Bicycle Village and when we went to pick them up, Cole saw....

(only had my phone...sorry for the tiny picture)
First he was awed by how tall he was. Then he noticed that he didn't have hands. Then he thought, "Bike shorts? Hmm...maybe I should rub them...all over." At last he said, "Hi?"

That's when I jumped in and tried to explain that he wasn't real (if he had been, I am sure the rubbing would have gotten a reaction!). Cole couldn't get his eyes off him until we left. :)

Uppey Part 2

2011-05-26T08:49:00.002-06:00

My hair is still wet from the shower...and down. Cole bonked his eye while messing around with his basketball hoop. So, I go over and hold him and ask him what he bonked...He pulls away from my hug and through his tears, grabs my hair and say, "Uppey? Uppey? Uppey?"

Really? Let's just focus on the hurt eye......

Tubes

2011-05-24T21:36:00.003-06:00

Cole is getting tubes in his ears! We had a consultation today and are having the surgery next week (June 2). We were very impressed with the pediatric ENT staff and are VERY excited for his tubes. Anything that can decrease his ear infections about 80% is a no-brainer!

Now I just have to prepare myself for Cole to have anesthesia. I know it will be fine....but I am nervous, you know?! We are also hoping (but trying not to get our hopes up too much!) that this will help him start talking better. The ENT suggested that it might help in his pronunciation. Cross your fingers!

Uppey?

2011-05-22T08:38:00.002-06:00

So, Cole now says "Uppey?" to get us to pick him up. I think it is a combo of UP and PLEASE...either way it is pretty cute. But he has started to figure out that it will work for other situations too....which at first was great...but now...

HE DOESN'T LET ME WEAR MY HAIR DOWN!!!! EVER! If he sees me with my hair down he grabs parts of it and wraps it on top of my head and says, "Uppey?" Oy. So, I put it up.

Let's be honest, my hair typically ends up in a ponytail by the end of the day anyway, but this has become all the time. Even when I am putting him to bed at night and I have taken my hair down so I can comfortably lay down..."Uppey?"

Yeah. Its cute...but I am not! :)

Stake Conference

2011-05-15T22:54:00.003-06:00

We had Stake Conference this weekend, which meant two things: 1) Dad was home for a visit from Houston and 2)I was NOT looking forward to wrangling Cole for 2 hours during the meeting with no promise of Nursery after.

But, as it turned out....COLE WAS AWESOME! We never had to take him out or really even tell him to be quiet or stop or anything! The only thing we had to control was his excited yelling of "PA PA!" when he would see Grandpa at the pulpit. He just looked at books, played with his cars and quiet book, colored and ate lots of popcorn!

Stake Conference was really good, by the way. One of the best ones I have been too in a while.

He has loved having Grandpa (his Pa Pa) home this weekend. Actually, I have had to take Cole out of the house in order for Dad to get anything done at all. Cole is pretty much glued to his Grandpa.

I can only imagine how he will be when Mom comes home in a few weeks! Considering he kisses the screen when we Skype....it will be interesting! :)

Crafty Sisters

2011-04-26T23:21:00.009-06:00

So...my sisters are crafty. As in, they sew and make cute things for their kids and always have cute new decorations they have made...and then there is me. NOT CRAFTY. I am the person at the Relief Society craft nights that needs help with every step. Yeah, not crafty.

But here is the thing: I WANT to be crafty. So, my cute, supportive sisters decided that we could all be crafty together and do the same craft every month! When we have questions, we call or skype so we can see whats going on. We have been doing it for a few months now, and as life has it, we actually do a craft about every other month. You know, life and kids come before crafts sometimes....

Anyway, I have really enjoyed it and have started gaining some confidence and doing some on my own!! I am not a Micah or Tara yet, but maybe someday. :)

Here are some of our projects:

This was our first craft...Valentine's Day...obviously. Micah and her friend found it at The Idea Room. But it was super easy and turned out cute! I also made topiary balls from the same felt circles. My awesome husband, Jon, even helped me cut out the MILLIONS of circles while watching movies. Good guy!

Second was our Easter project. Super cute, right! We found in on the Michaels website. To show you how new I am to crafting, I didn't even know what glue dots were. Now that I do....I LOVE THEM! Also, Martha Stewart glitter? AWESOME!

So, this project was one I found on my own here.I was intimidated at first, but I thought it was really cool. So, I tried it on a much simpler scale. And I didn't find my stuff at Goodwill. I printed it as a 16x20 ay Costco, got it mounted on foam board at Hobby Lobby and will eventually get it framed. So, not a cheap as she did it...but easier!

I still need to frame it...but I think it turned out pretty sweet.

The cutest thing about all this crafting is that Cole is VERY proud of me. :) Anyone that comes over, he takes them to my newest creation, points and says, "Mom." I love it.

Cole's 2 Year Photos

2011-03-15T15:08:00.000-06:00

I decided to take on the challenge of taking Cole's 2 year portraits. There is something hard about taking pictures of your own kids. Whenever I get the camera out, Cole just wants to get hold it. Like this:

I have SOOO many pictures that look like that! So,I did it on a day that Jon was able to help (thanks heavens...he did a lot of chasing!) and the results were pretty good. However, I won't mention how sweaty all 3 of us were by the end!

Turned out pretty good, eh? What a handsome 2 year old!

Cole's three new friends....His Therapists

2011-02-26T08:13:00.004-07:00

It was recommended by our pediatrician that we have Cole assessed for some delays we have been noticing. So we had him go to Child Find to have an assessment. It was a crazy couple of hours, but it was concluded that Cole needed therapy as he has some autistic markers. I was told that he won't be diagnosed as autistic because his social development is on track. But his speech and his sensory motor development is behind.

So, Cole was assigned 3 therapists that come to our house every week; an Occupational Therapist (Janet), a Speech Therapist (Shanda) and an Early Childhood Educator (Sharla). It makes for busy weeks and a stressed Mama, but we have already seen some improvements.

Cole loves Janet his OT. She wrestles with him and plays rough and he LOVES it! He gives her hugs and gets excited when she comes. His Speech Therapist, Shanda, he hasn't clicked with as well. But I love her! He is warming up to her (we can tell because he tried to knock her over and hit her in the legs....that means he likes you!). Interestingly enough, the most progress we have seen has been in the speech. His vocabulary has increased a ton and he is trying to say more things....which makes Jon and me VERY happy.

Now if we could just get him to eat something.....

I am posting about this now, after accepting the idea that Cole is still my perfect boy even with these delays. It is really hard to be told that something is wrong with your child. But knowing that we are helping him and he is progressing makes it easier.

Cole's First Stock Show

2011-01-15T14:27:00.002-07:00

We took Cole to the Stock Show this year...not the rodeo yet. I don't think he would have lasted that long. But he got a new hat....

went to his first petting zoo....

wanted to go on the pony ride, but the link was SUPER long. Maybe next year!

Cole's 2nd Birthday (So...I am a little behind on posts!)

2011-01-13T08:05:00.004-07:00

I can't believe Cole is 2! It seems to have gone really fast (and sometimes really slow!) and he is getting so big! We had a little celebration with Oma, Gramps, Uncle Robin and Grandma and Grandpa complete with beef stroganoff (which cole didn't eat) and tossed salad (which cole didn't eat) and a YUMMY chocolate bundt cake (which Cole didn't eat)!. It was a great dinner, and Cole enjoyed his chicken nuggets and noodles....and the way I decorated the cake!

He got into opening his presents this year. He got some Toy Story guys and a little Leap Top Laptop and some darling clothes from Grandma and Grandpa Hickman. He also got some awesome HUGE stamp pads and stamps from Oma and Gramps Dunning and a puzzle. Robin won favorite Uncle by giving him 2 books about cars and trucks and the Worlseys gave Cole a stinkin' cute shirt. Basically, he scored!

He had a great time being the center of attention. We love our little 2-year-old!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T17:44:00.009-07:00

For Christmas, my brother, Trent and his family, Wendy, Noah, Jonah and Isaac, came to Colorado. Once they had good enough weather to drive, they made it! We all had a great time, and Cole was so happy to have other people to play with.

We went to our traditional movie on Christmas Eve. We took Cole and Isaac to see Tangled. Cole only last for about half the movie and then Jon took him home. I think the singing didn't hold his attention! I, on the other hand, really liked it!

Then we headed home for dinner. Instead of our traditional fondue dinner, we had a Raclette dinner. We had T & W bring theirs and combined with ours, we had enough space for everyone to melt their cheese and cook their food. IT WAS TASTY!

Cole loved Christmas this year. He caught on to Isaac's enthusiasm for opening gifts and I think liked Isaac's presents more than his own!

He got to play in the snow and loved to follow Isaac around.

Did I mention how much he loves his Uncle Trent?

Jon passed his 3rd Test!

2010-12-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

In early December, Jon passed his 3rd of four tests for his QKA certification at work. He diligently studied every morning for months and it paid off! We are VERY proud of him! Only one more to go!

Zoo Lights

2010-12-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

We went to see the Zoo Lights this year with Faye, Arn, Joseph and Robin. It was a nice night, so we were excited. After an awesome dinner at a shady McDonalds, we headed to the Zoo. When we went up to pay, they told us that it was closed for a private company party. But we had checked the website and it had no mention of the closure. Long and short, 2 other families showed up around the same time. One of the other ladies demanded that since there was nothing on the website, that we all be let in. IT WORKED! It was awesome because there was NO ONE there and we didn't have to pay! We had a great time! You can see how much Cole loves to be with his cousin Joseph!

Uncle Robin was the favorite that night!

Halloween

2010-11-22T17:37:00.005-07:00

Cole had a better Halloween this year. He loved wearing his costume and loved Trunk-or-Treating. Jon and I even dressed up this year (kinda!).

I don't think I ever had such a nice Halloween when I was little. I was wearing short sleeves!

Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-25T17:49:00.001-06:00

We carved pumpkins this year...but Cole couldn't have cared less about them until they were done. I did a stencil for the first time ever and it turned out ok! I will be more confident next year.

This is mine...Pablo from Backyardigans!

This is Jon's creation. It made me smile everytime I saw it!

Climbing Trees and doing all sorts of things with fruit!

2010-10-20T17:05:00.003-06:00

So, the people who lived in this house before Mom and Dad planted an apricot tree, 2 apple trees and 2 grape vines. They have never really produced that much fruit, but this year, there was fruit EVERYWHERE! Mom's friend Pat came over and took apples and grapes and made apple butter and jelly from them. Mom and I were inspired to do the same!

We spent a few hours one day, during Cole's nap, gathering TONS of grapes and apples (we had previously gathered about 2 boxes of apples). I climbed up in the apple tree to get the big, perfect apples near the top (I haven't climbed a tree in who knows how long!), but it was REALLY windy. I had to hold on so tight and at times I was swaying all over the place! My muscles were super sore the next day!

So, we became all homemakey and canned apple butter, apple pie filling, grape jelly and grape juice! It was awesome! Tons of work and on those days Cole watched a bunch of movies, but it was great.

I even bid on a juicer/steamer and ebay and won! So, now we are set for next year! Mom had previously canned the apricots...but we have big plans for them next year.

Cole's First Trip to the Movies

2010-10-17T17:27:00.000-06:00

Jon and I took Cole to see Toy Story 3 at the theater! We waited until it went to the dollar theater just in case he spazzed out, we wouldn't feel bad leaving. As it turned out, he sat and watched for 1 hour and 15 minutes before he even wanted to wander! It was awesome.

Now that it is out on DVD, we have seen it probably about 30 times (and that might be a low guess!. He loves it! And, even after 30 times, I still get teary at the end....

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-15T16:58:00.003-06:00

We took Cole to the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins this year. It was stinkin' freezing, but we had a great time!

Could we live in a prettier place? No way!

Conference

2010-10-06T15:30:00.003-06:00

In order to try to get something out of Conference last week, this is what we tried....

It worked for the first hour (however, I found myself sometimes watching Woody and Buzz too!), and then back to regular ol' Cole.

Sleepy

2010-09-16T11:27:00.002-06:00

So, I know that all kids get wacky sometimes...but Cole has decided that he won't go to sleep unless Jon or I lay with him. I know, I know....let him cry it out. We've tried--he barfs! I think a lot of it has to do with him getting his last 3 molars.

Last night, he finally went to bed at around 10 (after rolling around on Jon, sitting on Jon's face, etc. since 8:30). Then at 5:22 am, I hear, "Mama! MAAAA MAA!" Totally awake. I tried to lay with him for a bit longer, but by 6:30, he was off the bed, out the door and bugging Jon while he was shaving!

We are tired. And off schedule. Who knows, maybe it will get us on a better night time routine. Enough of this 10pm stuff.

Despite all of this, he is the cutest thing ever.

Cole loves swimming

2010-09-15T14:02:00.002-06:00

Ever since Cole's swimming lessons, I have tried to make sure that he goes to the pool often. He loves it. He especially loves going down the big slides. Since we usually go during the day while Jon is at work, I don't get many pictures, but here is one that my friend Lexy got....Cole loves Hannah...especially bugging Hannah!

Cole and Dad

2010-08-01T13:54:00.002-06:00

Cole was playing in a little pool in the backyard....it was a wee bit cold and he wanted Dad to hold him. Look how cute my boys are.

Grand Lake Trip

2010-07-31T15:20:00.001-06:00

Our friends at Rocky Mountain Reserve asked Jon, Cole and me to join them in their company retreat up to Grand Lake (they had a little extra room!). Thanks to Shauna's family we had an awesome "cabin" (more like a ginormous lodge! Look at the view!) to stay in with lots of fun stuff to do!

Cole got to see and touch real horses...that ended when he stuck his fingers in the horse's nostril and went, "TICKO TICKO TICKO!" The horse was not a fan!

We went on ATV rides, Taylor taught Jon to fly fish and Cole even got to drive the pontoon boat! This is how I imagine this conversation...

TAYLOR: Cole, do you think you are stong enough to drive the boat?
COLE: Are you kidding?

COLE: Look at these muscles!

He was a natural and even tested out the horn a little!

It was beautiful up there! Such a fun weekend. Thanks RMR!

Hickman Reunion - Minute To Win It

2010-07-12T15:05:00.002-06:00

The next day, we played minute to win it. If you haven't seen that show, it is pretty fun. Basically, you have 60 to complete a crazy task (we have tons of pictures, so I will only pick a few of my faves!). Such as:

Micah knocking pop cans off the table with rubberbands

Tyler balancing a half-full can of root beer (awesome!)

Jon working an oreo from his forehead to his mouth only using his face

Tara stacking apples

and Jonah stacking 5 nuts using a spaghetti noodle!

It was a blast and we had so much fun! Great for FHE!

Hickman Reunion - Iron Chef

2010-07-12T15:04:00.001-06:00

The next day we did Iron Chef. The secret ingredient was apples and Grandpa and Grandma were the judges. It was really fun and everyone made awesome dishes. This is the Apple and Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar chips. SOOOO GOOD! Tons of chopping for their poor team, but oh so worth it! I loved it! (WINNER - Most Original)

Then we had Curried Apple and Leek Soup. Mmmmmm... How can you go wrong with curry, potatos, leeks and apples! (WINNER - Best Plating)

And then my groups creation....Imperial Stacked Pork (yup...we made up the name and the recipe!). It was actually pretty tasty! And the red sauce....made out of red hots. Awesome! (WINNER - Best Taste and Overall winner)

The judges had a hard job!

Hickman Reunion 2010-The Amazing Race

2010-07-12T14:23:00.005-06:00

We had a Hickman Reunion here in Colorado at the beginning of July. It was a blast! We had a full house and Cole LOVED being with his cousins! We had planned so many fun activities and everyone had a great time.

We kicked it off with The Amazing Race. We did the whole race on Pearl Street in Boulder. The teams were a little closer than we had planned, but it was still really fun. The teams had to solve the clue and complete a challenge in order to get the next clue. They ranged from riding a pig, eating $2 worth of M&Ms, or spelling out 1917 with their bodies!

Swimming Lessons

2010-07-01T15:25:00.000-06:00

Cole took his first Mom and Tot swimming class. The first day was not so good and I was thinking that it was going to be a long 2 weeks! But by the third day, he was jumping off the wall and going down the slides and putting his head under the water!

Now he LOVES swimming! I don't have any pictures, but he loves to go on the slides-big or small. He laughs the whole way down! He is our little dare devil.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-05-17T16:18:00.004-06:00

So, I turned 31 yesterday....old, I know...and weird to be that old. But nonetheless, it was a great day. We grilled burgers and had a new dessert (which is the main reason for this entry!). It was a chocolate Pavlova. SO TASTY! And, not too bad for you! Only 7.5 points all you WW people out there!

It was such a nice day and good birthday, if only Cole weren't sick (Yup...sick again...croup this time.). Maybe next year...

New Suit

2010-05-10T16:45:00.001-06:00

So, my awesome friend Lexy found 2 darling Sunday outfits for Cole on clearance at Target. She snagged them for me (what a good friend!) and look how cute little Cole is in his seersucker suit!!!! And for $6! And no, it doesn't bother me that 3 other boys at church had the same out fit on that same Sunday.... :)

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T21:42:00.004-06:00

We had a great Mother's Day today! It was simple and relaxed and we loved it! It was fun to have Grandpa with us all day long (and even at church! Which was announced by Cole screaming "DADA!!" during sacrament meeting!). Jon and Grandpa made a tasty steak dinner for us and even did the dishes. :)

It is fun to be living here with two moms. The celebration was double the fun! We also were able to go to Great Grandma Dunning's house and celebrate with Oma and Great Grandma. It is nice to be so close to family.

It is the best being a mom. Last year, I think I was still getting used to the idea of having a baby, but this year it's awesome! We have the best little boy!

Family Pictures

2010-05-01T11:57:00.002-06:00

In April, we finally got family and Cole's "one year" (actually 14 months!) pictures taken. Jeanine took them and they turned out awesome! Take a look at some of Cole's shenanigans!

Sick Boy

2010-04-13T12:48:00.004-06:00

So, I gave Cole (AND GRANDMA!!) my nasty cold that I had on Easter. It has been horrible. So, we took Cole to the Doctor yesterday and he has a double ear infection and has to be on a nebulizer 3 times a day to help him breathe. And on top of it, his K9 teeth are coming through. Yikes.

It makes me sad, but he is the best little boy ever. He just lets us strap on that mask and breaths in the albuterol for 8 minutes without moving or pulling off the mask. He is an amazing kid. Makes me scared to have any more.... :)

Tickle Tickle Tickle

2010-04-10T12:46:00.004-06:00

Cole loves to tickle peoples feet. The whole time he does it, he says, "tickle tickle tickle tickle!" It is the cutest thing! Then he expects you to tickle him back! But if you are doing something else, he will tickle his own feet sometimes! (Don't get freaked out by Jon's crazy toes!)

First Fake Smile

2010-04-06T12:44:00.002-06:00

Here is one of Cole's first fake smiles. I love it!

He also thought it might be a good idea to get inside his toy box. Hmmmm...

Cole's 1st (well... 2nd, but 1st that mattered) Easter

2010-04-04T12:33:00.006-06:00

It was nice that Easter fell on Conference weekend. When Cole woke up, we gave him his Easter basket. He had no idea what was going on, but he loved the new matchbox car and finger paints (which weren't such a good idea. I got the Color Wonder ones...but he didn't have the patience to wait for the colors. Oh well.).

The car came in an egg, and he loved that, so we knew the Easter egg hunt would be a hit! After Cole and I went down for a nap (I was sick and feeling lousy!), Jon "hid" the eggs. When Cole got up and saw some of the eggs he got excited. He quickly discovered that there was candy inside and would fill his mouth.

Then he would see another egg and he would run, the whole time exclaiming, "OOOO OOOO!" to the next egg, spit out the candy in his mouth and eat the next discovery! We had some cleaning to do that day!

All in all, his favorite part was the eggs themselves...and finding the candy. The next morning, I put Cheerios in one of the eggs....you should have seen the disappointment on his face!

Grandma is Home!

2010-03-17T12:31:00.002-06:00

As we drove home from the airport, I was getting excited to see Grandma and Cole had no idea that she would be there.

Mom had been so worried that Cole would forget her while she was gone, but when we drove into the garage, he saw Grandma standing in the door and he got all excited and yelled, "DA DA!"

To say the least, Grandma was overjoyed to know that Cole hadn't forgotten her!

Cole meets his Wisconsin Cousins!

2010-03-09T13:01:00.006-07:00

Cole and I went to Wisconsin to help Tara and family while she had her 5th baby! I was a little worried going from one very active Cole, to 5 kids! But Tyler, Scott, Tessa and Zach were SOOO helpful and awesome, they made it easy!

After a HORRIFIC plane ride (I will never give Cole Benedryl again!!), we made it to Verona and started a fun week!

Cole loved to be with so many kids and with all new toys!

He loved all of his cousins and made sure they knew it with all sorts of hugs!

He, apparently, also became nostalgic for his old car seat, and filled his need by sitting in Brynn's.

He was very interested in new baby Brynn. We have to teach him to touch softly and not to poke her eyes!

Jon joined us for the weekend and we had so much fun. We were sad to leave, but we also had a fun surprise waiting at home....GRANDMA WAS BACK!

Cole misses his Grandma and Grandpa

2010-02-25T16:44:00.006-07:00

Cole loves it when Grandpa comes back from Houston for a week!

But when he is gone, he misses him too!

He also loves being able to talk to Grandma on Skype. So, as much as he misses her, at least he can see her! But he is ready to play with his Grandma again!

Maurading King

2010-02-25T16:19:00.008-07:00

Cole is now trying to run, opens all the doors and cabinets and gets into everything he can. I have learned that there are some things that I just don't clean up until the end of the day...or else cleaning is all I would be doing!

Even Dad thinks that Cole is the King Marauder! So, Noah, Jonah, Luke and Isaac...you've been beat! Here are some examples of the fun I deal with every day! This might be all too familiar to some of you!

I realize that these pictures make it look like I let him do whatever fits his fancy. I don't!! I can't even begin to tell you how many times we have had an issue over me taking him away from the stereo and to not eat toilet paper and not to throw mom's eye shadow!

Cole is 1!!

2010-01-13T11:36:00.001-07:00

We had multiple celebrations for Cole this year. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Hickman a week before his birthday, so they could celebrate before they went to Houston.

Jon and I made him a dump truck cake. He didn't care about the cake or the frosting, but he LOVED the M&Ms and Oreos!

And then we had a little party at Oma and Gramps (Dunning) house. Cole loved when everyone sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to him! He liked it so much, we sang it twice!!!

Since we knew Cole wouldn't care about the cake, we made one for all of us!

We got him a kitchen for his birthday. We knew he would love it because he got to test it out at Trent and Wendy's over Thanksgiving (thanks Isaac!). He loves it! I have a video that I will try to put up...He used to dance every time the pot would make the bubbling sounds!

Cole's First Christmas

2009-12-25T12:16:00.001-07:00

I know that Cole will have a better time next year, because he will understand the whole present thing better...but he had a pretty great time this year. Between the tree, ornaments, lights, and the train, he was good to go!

But more than the ornaments, he loved the beads that Mom hangs on her tree.

On Christmas Eve, Cole enjoyed the fondue....he would suck it off the asparagus that we would dip. But, I think that is also when he discovered that he LOVED asparagus! He liked the Martinelli's, but it was a little bubbly!

But most of all, he loves his Grandma and Grandpa!

Christmas morning was fun! I think Cole would have been just fine if he hadn't gotten any more gifts! He loved his Santa presents!

Thanksgiving--Fun (and then some...)

2009-11-26T11:39:00.002-07:00

We went to Utah for Thanksgiving with Trent, Wendy, Noah, Jonah and Isaac this year. We had so much fun and Cole LOVED being with his cousins.

Cole, however, also loved to pick up a stomach/intestinal bug on the plane and proceed to pass it to everyone in the household (all but me...lucky!). It was a blast. Actually, despite everything, it really was!

We went to see the lights on Temple Square. It was freezing, but we had a great time. And BYU had just beat Utah...it was a fun night!

Random Cole

2009-11-10T11:21:00.001-07:00

In the attempt to catch up with the blog....here are a few photos of Cole.

This is Cole outside for the first time in the snow. He is not sure what to think! It probably didn't help that his cousin Luke's coat was way too big! But hey, it will be perfect next year! (9 months)

Cole and his path of destruction...notice how pleased he is with himself! (9 months)

Cole and the boys watching BYU Football! He actually is really mesmerized by football games! (10 months)

Could he be cuter? Seriously? (10 months)

Halloween

2009-10-31T20:02:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Aunt Micah, Cole was the cutest frog in town!

He had no idea what was going on, but he thought he looked pretty awesome. (Yes, he is kissing himself...this is a frequent occurrence!)

Seriously, could he be cuter?! :)

Next year, he will have a better time!

Trip to Dallas

2009-10-26T10:30:00.001-06:00

We took our first family trip to Dallas in October. We went to see Jon's Granny and aunts and uncles. We had a blast. Cole loved Granny and really love Uncle Wade's bald head! He had a great time playing with new toys and meeting new people who thought he was great. He definitely took the opportunity to show off a little!

The flight was better than both Jon and I expected. He slept for about half of it both ways and then was a little crazy while he was awake. Good thing he loves books and apple juice!

Not only did we hang out with family (and had great food!), but we enjoyed the warm weather and went on walks, went to the pumpkin patch (Cole wasn't too sure what to think of it!)...

and went to see my cousins, Laura and Jeremy and their kids. After Cole warmed up, he loved to tag along after the kids.

We had a great time in Dallas and hope to go back soon. Cole loved to meet his relatives and of course, being the center of attention.

Phone Videos

2009-10-15T19:46:00.002-06:00

Here are some videos from my phone. I am sure that they are not good quality at all, but I think you can still tell what a cute boy Cole is even if it is pixely! Some of these are pretty old, but we still haven't figured out our video camera. One request, please ignore (as much as you can) and forgive my stupid voice on the clips. Yikes...

This is Cole very much enjoying his lunch!

Phone Video 2

2009-10-15T19:40:00.001-06:00

Here is #2.

This is Jon and Cole getting each other.

Phone Video 3

2009-10-15T16:47:00.001-06:00

Here is #3. For some reason, Cole really liked our COLD walk!

Cole and Joseph

2009-10-03T19:52:00.001-06:00

Cole thinks Joseph, his cousin, is pretty awesome. Now that he can crawl, he tries really hard to keep up. But one day he was happy just watching Joseph throw his cars and chase after them.

He thinks his Oma is pretty awesome as well!

Almost.....

2009-08-27T12:53:00.001-06:00

Cole is SO close to crawling! I can't wait for him to figure out how to move his arms! I know, I know, I might regret saying that! But he gets frustrated trying to get places when he can't. Sometimes he gives up and belly flops (becuase he hasn't figured out the arms yet!) and then acts like he is high-centered and kicks like a frog!

Dressy Cole

2009-08-27T12:32:00.001-06:00

One of my friends from work gave us some of her son's old clothes (Thanks Sam!). There was some really cute stuff in there and this outfit was one of them! Could he be cuter?

He has started to scrunch his nose a little when he smiles and make new faces. He has the cutest personality and is becoming quite social. He even gives courtesy laughs to people! (Mostly me... :)) Here are some of his faces.

Tara and Micah's Visit

2009-08-06T10:30:00.001-06:00

Tara and Micah came to visit the last weekend in July. We had a great time and Cole loved his aunts! It was cute-he always reached for Micah and would always have to have at least a hand on Tara's arm.

We played tennis (tried to...), went swimming, went out to dinner, played Ticket to Ride and just had a great time! I wish my siblings lived closer; that way we could have fun all the time and Cole could know his cousins!

We are excited for Thanksgiving when we can go see Trent and Wendy and the boys! I have a feeling that Cole will think Isaac is great (and maybe learn a few marauding tips!)

Cole's First...

2009-07-28T13:26:00.001-06:00

It has been a while since I have attempted to get this going. But Cole has done a few new things recently and we thought that it would be fun to share!

Cole and I went swimming for the first time last week! I made sure he was well covered in sunblock, but then forgot to put any on myself! So, mom suffered later! :) Cole wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but once I put him in his starfish floaty, he liked it. There were two other little kids at the pool and a 2-year-old named Micah would take Cole on trips around the little kiddie pool and bring him back to me. Cole thought Micah was pretty cool!

So, this is a picture of Cole in his swimming duds! I will get some actual swimming pictures when I have someone else with me!

The next first was Cole's first haircut! I know, he is only 6 months old, but he needed it! He was such a good boy and only got concerned when the gal got the clippers out to trim his sideburns. Yes...he has sideburns. He takes after his dad! Jon and I think that he will need to start shaving when he is 6 or 7! :)

It was a cute place. They had little cars and tvs for the kids to watch at each station. He really needed a haircut because he had started look messy all the time, but he now looks like a little boy instead of a baby! I have to admit I was kinda sad!

Welcome!

2009-06-16T21:07:00.001-06:00

After many discussions and internet research of what to name our blog, we came to a decision. So, welcome to saidanddunning! We are brand new to this blogging stuff, but so many people wanted pictures and videos of Cole, so we finally gave in.

We have added a few pictures to start of our little family. We think Cole is awesome! Hopefully we will get better as we go along! Enjoy!

Cole and Mom wrestling -- this happens often!

My handsome boys! We are on our way to show Cole off at his first wedding reception.

Cole in his bath! As you can see from the water, he LOVES his bath! (I hope you enjoy the editing! :))

The cutest boy ever just hanging out with Dad on the couch. He is usually really happy! We get to see lots of gummy smiles!